Susan,

We sound like the same size and I was in your spot about a year ago except that I didn't have money burning a hole in my pocket! I'm building a S&G canoe for my step son's wedding present as a warm up to building a kayak, giving me more time to decide and paddle boats and sharpen my boatbuilding skills.

Here's where I am so far though. I've paddled a Pygmy 14' Tern and Coho and a CLC 14, 16, 16LT, Pax 18. I'm looking for a boat that fits me snugly and rides relatively low in the water. I doubt I'll ever do more than an overnight if that - mostly day trips and I need to be able to cartop it myself as I do a lot of solo paddling. For poking around in small bodies of water I liked the Pygmy 14' Tern. It was fun and responsive and fit me well. For longer trips, wanting to cover some distance, the 16 LT, although I don't like how high it sits out of the water. I think the Tern would work fine too though.

The other boat I'm considering and is my current first choice, is the Merganser 16, but I haven't had a chance to paddle it yet. I also love the Silver, but a strip feels too ambitious to me, too.

If you like a lot of leg and foot room and being able to slosh around in the cockpit, go with something like the larger Tern, the Coho, or the CLC 16.

Patsy